PRESSURE **************** CHRIS POV **************** Making love with Selena was all I thought it would be and more. I had a strong physical connection with her and it felt great to love someone like her. I feel Selena had surrendered every part of herself to me, to our love and so have I, and I intend to love and cherish her till eternity. Loving someone has never felt so good until I met Selena, she gave without expecting anything in return. Our love for each other was pure and magical, I smiled to myself every time I remember she was mine and mine alone. Our relationship waxed stronger, we grew in love. But the enemy was also there, trying to consume us, to stop our love. Mr. Harry, Selena's father became more aggressive after Selena spent the night at my place, I began to suspect that despite Selena covering her tracks her father must have gotten wind of everything. On a Sunday morning, as I made my way to church without my mother because of her failing health, I had a strange feeling that I was being followed, but by whom, I wondered. Tugging my jacket tighter around me I increased my pace, it was not difficult for me to outrun the person, after all, it was my neighborhood and I knew shortcuts around the area, still, I was worried powerful men can make you disappear without a trace, I wasn't afraid of dying but not being there for my mother would hurt me more than losing my life. When I got home after church I didn't tell my mother my experience, I didn't want her to worry and at a point, I began to wonder if it wasn't a figment of my imagination. Selena also visited later in the day we spent the whole day together in each other’s arms, lately, we just wanted to be indoors, couldn't understand the urgency why we felt the need to spend as much time as possible with each other. *************** I Wasn't delusional after all, two days later as I made my way through the street, trying as much as possible not to bump into anyone, it was difficult to make out what anyone was saying as voices flew over each other. Someone bumped into me, I knew it wasn't a mistake as I felt something sharp piercing through my jacket, it didn't hurt but the jacket had a deep cut, thankfully it was made of leather and belonged to my father. After his death, I took a few of his personal belongings especially the ones he used frequently. Searching the crowd for the culprit I found none, when I had given up I felt a pair of mean eyes staring at me, following my intuition I looked over to the other side of the street. When our eyes met I felt fear shoot through me, the perpetrator was a short man and now, I know that was why his strike wasn’t fatal. He gave me a sneer and gestured with his hands how he was watching my every move. I ran to school after that afraid that walking would be detrimental. Who wants me dead, I couldn't stay calm anymore. So many thoughts clouded my mind, I must have been acting morose because my mother became worried and asked to know what was wrong. Everything is okay mother, I’m just stressed because of my final exams coming up.'' She accepted my reasons but I also saw a worried frown edge around her brows. I Could not tell her that someone wanted me dead, she already had so much going on, her kidney failure, our bills were beginning to pile up, and now the killer was lurking around waiting to pounce. It was also almost a week now and I had not seen Selena, her phones were switched off, no means to communicate with her, and going to her father’s house was not an option. Two weeks after I was almost stabbed to death, I got a visitor, Selena's father was back, today he came alone with a different car, a Ferrari, the man knew how to ball, I had to give it to him. I walked up to him and this time, he didn't invite me into his car. “Peasants Can't Sit in there.” he mocked me, resting his behind on the bumper of his car, and without looking at me he went straight to the point. “Have you called off your relationship with my daughter yet?” I didn't respond, the overbearing pompous almost bald man before me was getting on my nerves. With practiced skill he folded up the sleeves of his perfectly ironed shirt, and dusted his trousers before sparing me another glance “I don't like coming over to this neighborhood boy.” his piercing blue eyes were intimidating but I refused to be bullied “Then why are you here.” I matched his tone of voice “You are setting yourself up boy, don't say I didn't warn you.” his eyes burrowed in a frustrated frown. “This time around the dagger won't miss its target.” “What did you say? were you behind the attack.” “Expect more, don't expect me to lose my princess and heir to a nobody.” Before I could recover from my shock, he was gone.